Mass Transit Gains Momentum

Every so often, I go into Center City Philadelphia from my house. If I possibly can, I take the train. The Philadelphia area has a fairly extensive public transit system. I am the beneficiary of the investments that were made many years ago to create the public transit service lines in the first place. Not every city has as extensive a network as Philadelphia’s, but the list is growing.

One of the cities that also has a very extensive network of public transit lines in New York City. To greet the new year, New York opened up the latest subway extension—the beginnings of the long awaited Second Avenue subway line. Planned for a very long time, this relatively small segment of the Second Avenue line (extending the from 59th street up to 96th streets) will hopefully alleviate a portion of the overcrowded Lexington Avenue subway lines. The opening of this line makes me think of the other mass transit projects that were approved in the recent election.

Voters across the country in Atlanta, GA, Charleston, SC, Indianapolis, IN, Durham, NC, San Jose, CA, Albuquerque, NM, and numerous other areas approved funding for mass transit extensions. I am very happy to learn of these. These voter approvals mean that more and more metropolitan areas across the country will be incorporating more environmentally friendly forms of transportation into their transport systems. More and more people will be able to receive individual mobility benefits from these systems as their regions gain environmental benefits from fewer cars on the road.

Over the past several years, more and more communities have been investing in public transit. This year (2016) also saw a record number of voter approvals of proposals to fund mass transit projects. The amount approved exceeded $100 billion, according to the American Public Transportation Association. I predict that these mass transit improvements will be followed by billions of dollars more in private investment as more people choose to live close in to a mass transit stop.